Lang announces bid for third and final term

New Bedford Mayor Scott W. Lang will run for a third — and final — term, he announced Monday. "If I'm re-elected, then that will be the last term I seek re-election," he said.

CHARIS ANDERSON

NEW BEDFORD — Mayor Scott W. Lang will run for a third — and final — term, he announced Monday.

"If I'm re-elected, then that will be the last term I seek re-election," he told The Standard-Times shortly after announcing his intentions on WBSM. "I feel that six years is a very, very significant and appropriate period of time ... for me to run and be serving as mayor."

Lang on Monday took out nomination papers for the mayor's race and has until Aug. 18 to submit those papers to the city's Board of Election Commissioners. He then has until Sept. 1 to officially file his candidacy.

"I think we've made an awful lot of headway on key urban issues," Lang said when asked why he chose to run again.

But, he said, "I think there's an awful lot of work to be done."

If re-elected, Lang said he would continue to focus on public safety, education and economic development.

The city has seen a recent string of homicides, but "violence in America is not something that's unique to New Bedford," Lang said. "It's an epidemic that has to be cured."

According to Lang, the city has made real strides on improving public safety and he will continue to push for additional state and federal funding to keep the city's citizens safe.

Lang also pointed to the "close working relationship" the city has with the state police and other law enforcement agencies as something that "helps shore up the department during a very difficult economic time."

Lang said he remains committed to improving the city's school system and to making needed changes to ensure that every city child gets a quality education.

The city has made some progress toward decreasing its dropout rate through services such as a dropout prevention specialist, Lang said, but despite the work that has been done, the rate increased slightly last year.

The School Department "has the complete support of the city and the School Committee to come up with any creative way they can to keep kids active and keep them engaged in the schools," he said.

The city's budget woes also will affect the School Department, and it will have to do things differently to continue to provide a diverse curriculum on constrained resources, according to Lang.

"People are going to have to think completely sideways on these types of issues," he said.

Finally, Lang said the city has real momentum on bringing economic development to the area.

"As soon as the economy starts to lift a little bit, New Bedford will pick right up again," he said.

There are projects already under way, such as the Fairhaven Mills development, and other projects in the pipeline that could start over the next several months, including a renovation of the United Front Homes and a rehabilitation of Regency Towers, according to Lang.

Lang is only the second person to take out papers for the mayor's race since nomination papers became available on May 21. E. Michael Janson, a perennial mayoral candidate, has also taken out papers for the race.

"I'm running because we need to return fiscal responsibility back to the office of mayor," Janson said. "You can't spend what you don't have."

Janson said he plans to ask Lang for at least one debate.

"We need to talk on a lot of subjects: quality of life here in New Bedford and what he's going to do, or hasn't done, to try and improve it ... how he's managed the taxpayer's money," Janson said.

Lang said he is willing to go anywhere and debate anyone.

"We'll see what the field looks like and then we can all decide how many debates and what makes sense," he said.

But, he said, "I'm not going to spend time on (campaign) gimmicks or any of that kind of stuff."

While, right now, the mayor's race has a candidate slate of only two people, there is still plenty of time for additional candidates to take out nomination papers.

According to Sherrie Silva, a clerk in the city's election office, interest in nomination papers for all races has been a little slow this year.